Work site featured in news report
What would a television reporter find to say about a coffee house where individuals with disabilities work?
Reporting for WVIR, Jen Solomon featured Kindness Cafe + Play, a Charlottesville coffee house that has been employing individuals with disabilities since its inception, in a report that aired 17 August 2026 with the headline, “At Kindness Café, adults with cognitive disabilities are working, earning and thriving.”
Here’s an image (screen grab) of the beginning of Ms. Solomon’s report. Follow the link to see the full (~2-min) story.
One of the people featured in Ms. Solomon’s story, Ann Ross E., was my neighbor for many years. Her parents lived right across the lane from us at our North Garden residence. I knew Annie (that’s what I’ve always called her, but she seems to be using her real name in the video) from the time she was born, consulted about her individualized education plan, and am pleased to see her continuing to hold her employment at Kindness.
Dear Readers, if Kindness Cafe + Play seems familiar, that is probably because it is the same coffee house that Special Education Today has covered, too. Those stories appeared 22 April 2023, 9 June 2023, 15 February 2024, 19 May 2025, and 23 March 2025; I also included it in a story about employment published 22 April 2023.